FN Browning BAR

The History of Browning

Browning Arms Company was founded in 1880 by the American John Moses Browning, one of the most, if not the most prolific and influential firearm inventor of all time, with the help of his brothers, in Ogden, Utah. A large portion of John Browning's rifle designs have been acquired and produced by other big-name companies, like Winchester, Colt, Remington, Fabrique Nationale of Belgium, and Miroku. Among his most famous guns produced were the 1895 Colt Peacemaker machine gun, the Browning automatic rifle, the .45-caliber pistol, a variety of .30- and .50-caliber machine guns used in World War II; and the Browning Automatic-5 shotgun first introduced in 1902 and still produced to this day. Beside firearms, Browning is also a manufacturer of various other products, such as gun knives, shooting accessories, bicycles, and clothing. In 1977 the Belgian firearms manufacturer Fabrique Nationale (FN) purchased the Browning Company. In 1987 the US Repeating Arms Company (Winchester) was purchased from its former owners. The Winchester brand (licensed from Olin Corporation) was acquired at the same time by FN. In 1990, Société Générale sold the FN company to GIAT Industries.

In 1997, the entire FN family of companies (including Browning and the Winchester) was bought from GIAT by the government of a Belgian region named Waloon and was renamed to Groupe Herstal.

Browning BAR Rifle Review

Not to be confused with the M1918 Browning Automatic rifle predominantly used for military purposes, Browning BAR is a semi-automatic rifle introduced in 1966. It was manufactured up until 1993 when the second generation, namely, BAR MK2 was presented. In 2016, Browning introduced the third generation of the series, namely the BAR MK3.

BAR and BAR MK2 are identical rifles – scope mounts that fit BAR will also fit BAR 2. Moreover, apart from the BAR MK3 DBM variant that features an integrated Picatinny rail, the mounting surface on other BAR MK3 models is the same as that on BAR and BAR MK2 which means that all three generations of Browning BAR are suitable for the same scope mounts.

The rifle features a piston-driven autoloading system and a rotary-locking bolt head with seven locking lugs. There is a bolt release lever positioned on the right side of the action. The magazine with a hinged floorplate can hold up to three cartridges and is fully detachable. BAR features a cross-bolt safety and a single-stage trigger that is part of an easily removable trigger assembly. The receiver which is drilled and tapped for mounting purposes is a one-piece unit made of high-strength steel, except for some variations which feature an aluminum-alloy receiver.

Up until the introduction of BAR MK2, there were two BAR versions: the models made before 1976 are called Type 1, and the models made between 1976 and 1992 are known as Type 2. There are no major distinctions between the models – Type 1 and Type 2 mostly refer to the production date. The most obvious difference can; however, be spotted in the bottom receiver area of the stocks. The Type 1 has a narrower cut-out for the receiver, and it appears leveled with the receiver end of the stock, whereas Type 2 features a tad wider and shallower cut-out, thus the receiver end does not sit completely flush with the stock. The mounting surfaces on Type 1 and Type 2 are identical, meaning the rifles will fit the same scope mounts.

The barrel lengths on Browning BAR are 508 mm (20-inch), 559 mm (22-inch) and 610 mm (24-inch).

Browning BAR, chambered for .30-06 Spr.

Figure 1: Browning BAR, chambered for .30-06 Spr. (Source: https://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/1975-browning-bar-30-06.290999/)

Browning BAR Calibers

Browning BAR is chambered for the following calibers:

.243 Win.
.270 WSM
7mm Rem. Mag.
.308 Win.
.300 WSM
.30-06 Spr.
.338 Win. Mag.

Browning BAR Variants

Browning BAR is available in the following variants:

Browning BAR Safari
Browning BAR Long Trac
Browning BAR Short Trac
Browning BAR Lightweight Stalker

Browning BAR comes with four holes for mounting purposes, two on the front, and two on the rear mounting surface. There is no difference in height between the surfaces.

Browning BAR, chambered for .30-06 Spr.

Figure 2: The receiver of Browning BAR, chambered for .30-06 Spr. (Source: https://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/1975-browning-bar-30-06.290999/)

Skica dimenzij

A: 12.7 mm

B: 81 mm

C: 12.7 mm

BHU: 0 mm

Ø: 6-48

R1: R18

R2: R18

Scopes Mounts Interchangeable With Browning BAR

Rifles That Have One-Piece Mounts Interchangeable With Browning BAR

The necessary condition for rifles to have one-piece mounts interchangeable is that the mounting surfaces of these rifles match in every dimension. Rifles that have one-piece mounts interchangeable with Browning BAR are the following:

Benelli Argo
Browning Maral
Browning Acera
Winchester SXR Vulcan
Fabarm Iris
Browning BLR LA
Browning BPR
Browning BAR MK 2

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Mounts Interchangeable With Browning BAR

For two-piece mounts to be interchangeable the mounting surfaces of the rifles must match in every dimension except the B dimension which can vary. This is because the distance between the two pieces of the mount is not fixed. Rifles that have two-piece mounts interchangeable with Browning BAR are the following:

Benelli Argo
Browning Maral
Browning Acera
Winchester SXR Vulcan
Fabarm Iris
Browning BLR SA
Browning BLR LA
Browning BLR Lightning
Browning BPR
Browning BAR MK 2

Best Scope Mounts For Browning BAR

Fixed Scope Mounts For Browning BAR

This two-piece mount manufactured by the American company Talley is a suitable choice for your Browning BAR. It is made of aluminum and comes with a ten-year warranty.

Detachable Repeatable Mounts For Browning BAR

If you are looking for a detachable mounting solution to fit on your Browning BAR, this two-piece pivot mount manufactured by the company Rusan is a great choice.

Picatinny Rails For Browning BAR

This Picatinny rail manufactured by the German company EAW is a great choice for Browning BAR. It comes with a thirty-year warranty and is made entirely of high-quality steel.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade